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J. W. HUGHES.

com CONTROLLING REGISTER. APPLICA1 '|0N- FILED JUNE 1, I915.

' Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES J. W. HUGHES. COIN CONTROLLING REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1915.

Patented Apr. 13,

1920. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES J. W. HUGHES. COIN CONTROLLING REGISIER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1-. I915- Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

WITNESSES:

J. HUGHES. COIN CONTROLLING REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1915.

a n Q 3 m. m 1 rd W. m m 4T L- I A m. m Ar 8 u M 5 vl/l/l/l/llll/Y h Y Y\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ m a w P FIG- WITNESSES I ATTORNEY.

J. W. HUGHES.

IN CONTROLLING REGISTER.

LICATION FIL ED JUNE 1' I915- Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5- APP FIG-10- WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

equivalent to UNITED STATES PATENT ornion.

JAMES W.

HUGHES, OF HADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 HUGHES- LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, A CORPQRATION 0F NEVT JERSEY.

COIN-CONTROLLING REGISTER.

provement in Coin-Controlling Registers, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a coin apparatus for operating automatic vending machines, and has for an object to provide a means whereby a customer may order the various things he may desire by simply pressing the various keys on a keyboard labeled with the names of different articles. "Whent e various keys are pressed corresponding signals will be shown in a kitchen or storeroom wherein the goods to be sold are prepared for dispensation. It has for a further object to provide a means to receive, to add, and to register coins of various denominations, and when there has been placed into the machine a sum total of money equal or the amount of the bill ordered on keyboard of the machine, either a check will be ejected (from the apparatus) which may be used to operate and open a vending machine placed near by when the order appears in same, or else it can be directly connected to the vending machine itself and 0p erate same instead of ejecting check as aforesaid. It has for a further object to provide a means for operating an automatic vending machine set for a given sum of money, with placed in the slot or whether five dimes are used, or whether it consists of two quarters of a dollar, or one quarter and live nickels, or any other combination of legal coins, when the right amount equivalent to the aforesaid fifty cents is placed in the slot the apparatus will either eject a check or operate a vending machine as desired.

With the above and other objects in view as hereinafter described, the invention consists in a novel construction or a keyboard wherein only one key at a time can be used, each causing a registration oi? the amount thus ordered to be made and added up, and a Specification of Letters Patent. Patanted Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed. June 1, 1915.

Serial No. 31,629.

novel construction of an apparatus which will register the amount of and add up all coins placed therein, and when the sum total of the money received by the machine is equivalent to the sum total ordered on key.- board or otherwise set as desired, the 'machine will cause to operate a novelly constructed apparatus for discharging-a check or delivering the goods. 1

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents an assembled elevation of the machine; Fig. 1 is an end View of the machine of Fig,- 1 with part in section; Fig.2 represents a sectional'plan view of the same; Fig. 2is an end view of the same partly in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a typical key used on the keyboard showing the key in normal position ready to be pressed in; Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the key being pressed in; Fig. 5 is a similar View to Fig. 4 and showing the key all the way pressed inyFig. 6 represents an enlarged section of the coin tube; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the coin tube; Fig. 7 shows an enlarged elevation vi'ew'of the dial registering mechanism; Fig. 7* is a side elevation 01": the registering mechanism with a portion broken away; Fig. 8 shows a detail of the locking key in looking position; Fig. 9 represents a sectional plan View of a type of vending machine which may be used in connection with my coin con trolled operating deviceyFig. 9 is a vertical section of the same; and Fig; 10 is an en- The plate 4 l have termed a differential mesh plate because the pitch or position of the holes in this plate diflers from the pitch or position of the holes in plates 1 and 2 by a small increment or differential, so that no two of the plural holes in the plate 4: can be made to exactly coincide with any two of the plural holes in plates 1 and 2 at the same time. It is this principle that prevents more than one key from being pressed down at the same instant for the following reason: It will be noted that the key 3 is made smaller at the two points A.

and B, and when either one of the smaller portions is in alinement with the difi'erential plate 4 this plate can be shifted in any much as no two sets of holes as aforesaid can be made to exactly coincide. Nowisince from the nature or" the construction any two holes in plate 4 can be made, one to coincide and the other to partly eclipse any two corresponding holes in plates 1 and 2, it logically follows that any key on the board may he pushed in or out when taken one at a time, for whether the keys occupy the position as shown in Fig. 3 or the position as shown in Fig. 5, it is clear to be seen that any single key when pressed will (due to the bevel of the reducer ortions A and B) draw the hole through which it passes into alineinent with itself as the plate is free to move in any direction equal to the difference or the diameters of the holes and the reduced sections of the keys as heretofore explained.

From the foregoing it is clear to be seen how no two keys can be operated at the same time-an important feature as hereinafter brought out. This being accomplished we will now proceed to demonstrate the method of registering the amount ordered and how orders are made.

Referring to Fig. 1. This ligureshows a keyboard carrying thirty-five keys of the type 8 as heretofore referred to. The fronts of the keys are labeled with the various articles to be sold as indicated. The first two rows (reading from the top) are for live cent articles as indicated by the numerals to the left of each row; The third row is for ten cent articles, and the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rows are for fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty cent articles respectively as also indicated. On the underneath sides of the keys of type 3 are out small gear racks with a number of teeth corresponding in proportion to the number of nickels to be registered, with a clearance gap at either end of the rack space. The

rack teeth on the keys 3, as shown, mesh (when pushed in) with the pinions indicated by the number 5. Now the mechanism is so geared and arranged that when the key 3 in the five cent row'is pushed in, the one tooth there shown will revolve the pinion 5 through two teeth which turns the indicator dial 6 through a space addin five cents. (The one tooth in the key 3 willrevolve the pinion 5 through a space of two teeth because of the space it has to pass before the tooth in 3 disengages and clears the teeth in pinion 5.) 3 in the ten cent eaders row has three teeth, e: we more teeth in than has key 3 of the ve cent rows, hence it will revolve the through a space of four teeth ten cents as indicated on the registering dial. The 'i een to thirty cen keys are geared to gistering dial at a ratio twice as as the live and ten cent rows of keys, hence it will be clear to see how only half the number of teeth on each key will be required as if geared at the ratio of the smaller denomination keys. As shown in the drawin s all of the pinions 5 are geared together by means of a steel wire or band as designated by the numeral 7 though they might be geared together by any other in own methods such as spur idler gears as inc 'cated by dot and dash 8, or by use oi oi nary bevel gears or spiral gears, or by c in and sprockets running he place of steel wire 7. The steel wire 7 l r turns around the drums 9 and 10 to avoio any slip, and as the drums 9 and only revolve in'one direction a given number of times and then back again the steel music wire 7 may be soldered at a single spot on said drums or otherwise pern ently secured to make the movement of inions absolutely positive. 1 have resorted to the use or" the aforesaid music wire as means or gearing the pin ions 5, 5', and 5 together in order to get an easily operated mechanism with the least amount of Teach-lash. The pinion 5 is geared at the end to the dial gear 11 through the idler l2 which is positively connected to the indicating dial 6 which revolves on 1 3. In the bearing 14, the

ch is concentric with the center line e an center line 13, is mounted a hollow shaft 15 carrying secured thereto another dial 16 similar in construction and size to the dial 6. Secured to the dial 16 is the ratchet wheel 17 which is driven by the escapement like ratchet 18, which in its turn is operated by the armature 19 pulled by the electromagnet 20 when same is energized. Now the magnet 20 is energized and nullified, causing repeated pulls on the armature, eecording to the value of the coin deposited, as follows: in the tube 21 is secured two pieces of insulating material 22 and 23 to form a slot or runway as shown in the enlarged section Fig. 6. in member 22 is in serted the metal strips 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 as shown. The metal strip 24 acts as a bottom path or runway for the various size coins. Strip 25 is located at a distance from 24 approximately equal to the diameter of a ten cent coin and in this strip is one interruption electrically obtained by cutting the gap 29 and filling same with an insulating material ll ow when a dime is placed in the slot 80 it lie down the runway 24 and when its u edge reaches the member 25, it contacts closes an electric circuit of one whole as this strip has no 3, when pulled b reac es passing from the battery 31 into the member 24, through the dime into the member 25, from hence through the magnet 20 returning to and through the battery 31, thus energizing the magnet 20 which pulls down the armature 19, which operates the ratchet 18 and drives the ratchet wheel 17 and dial through a space of one half of a tooth as armature descends. As the dime rolls on and passes on to the insulating gap 29 the circuit as-described above is broken and the armature 19 springs back through the effort of the spring 32 and drives the ratchet wheel through a space of another half tooth, thus moving the ratchet wheel 17 through a space tooth at each make and break of-the circuit. As the dime rolls farther on it again comes in contact with the metal of strip 25 after passing the gap 29, and the above operation is repeated driving the ratchet wheel through another tooth. Now as there is the same number of graduations of five cents each on dial 16 as there are teeth in wheel 17, it follows that everytime the circuit is made and broken the registering dial will be five cents; and since strip 25 causes the circuit to be made and broken twice by the dime rolling over same, it is clear to be seen that the dial will be driven forward two spaces of five cents each, or a total of ten cents. The strip 26 is placed at a distance from strip 24 approximately equal to the diameter of a five cent coin, and interruptions in it, the circuit leading to the magnet 20 will only be made and broken once, thereby advancing the dial through only five cents as it should. The strip 27 is placed at a distance from 24 equal approximately to the diameter of a quarter of a dollar and contains four gaps ofinsulation which give five points of contact along its course thus making and breaking the circuit five times when a twenty-five cent piece rolls along its course. The strip 28 is a proper distance from 24 .to engage the upper edge of a fifty cent coin when inserted, and contains nine gaps and ten points of contact which, by the same principle as before described, will advance the dial 16 through ten spaces of five cents each or cause to be rggistered fifty cents. Referring to 1 s. 7 and 7, an enlarged detail of part of t e dials 6 and 16, it will be noted that through the hollow shaft 15 runs two conductors 33 and .34 terminating and connecting to the contact points 35 and 36. On the dial 6 is the split brush 37 so arranged that when it is opposite to the points 35 and 36, it will close a circuit as shown, which circuit asses through the solenoid 38 pulling on t e key 39 to the position as shown in Fig. 8. The key 39, being similar in shape and size to the keys 3 and the action of the solenoid will lock up the ifierential plate 4 and prevent any keys on the board from being pressed until the order has been filled and the key 39 is set back to its normal position by the person in charge pressing on the button 40 of key 39. When the key 39 is drawn 7@ backward by the action of the solenoid 38, the lever 41, which is pivoted at 42, having one end working in a slot of key 39, the other end working under the bottom of the check magazine 43, will sweep out a check (to the customer) to be used for operating a vending machine when the goods ordered are prepared and shown ready for delivery. Now it is clear to be seen that, if the circuit which passes through the solenoid 38 is passed also through the magnet 44 of Fig. 9, the armature 45 will be pulled downward from ofi' of pin 46 releasing turret 47 which will be revolved around through a spaceof about 180 degrees, thus giving access to 35 the contents of the machine directly as is desired in case of ready prepared food, etc. The operation of the machine may now be described briefly as follows:

When a customer wishes to order and pro- 0 cure (say for lllustration) a meal in a restaurant equipped with this device, hepresses the keys labeled with the articles he desires. This operation will drive the dial 6, as described above, registering the amount of 5 purchase, and carrying the brush 37 around correspondingly. At the same time the key is pressed it will show as pushed out or raised on the opposite side of the machine or in the serving room, the one in charge of the special order (is sired. H for instance the total bill thus ordered comes to fifty cents, then the customer starts to place in whatever coins he may have at his command until the dial 16 5 between the glass 51 and the plate 52 bring- 5 in View of the customer as well as visible to the one serving on the opposite side of the machine. When the coins are inspected by the one in charge the plate 52 ing the coins is pulled outwardly, thus allowing the coins 0 it supports to fall into the money drawer 53. 54 designates a ratchet counter which is geared to the dial 16 and registers the total amount of money received.

I wish it to be further understood that 125 the keyboard in many cases will not be used where single ready prepared articles are 1 to be sold. lln which case the he board casing carrying the keys 3 and 3' will be eliminated and the thereby notifying 38 ejecting the check 49,

dial 6 will be set at a figure corresponding to the price for which the article is to be sold, and the circuit 48 will be made to pass through a magnet forthe amount ordered by the operation of the keys, the remaining parts being parts of the mechanism shown forming subject matter of my application Serial Number 198,028, and filed Oct. 23, 1917.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character stated, an order board having two faces, in combination with a plurality of keysindicating the various articles for sale and extending through the board and beyond its two faces so as to be operable from either face, means for registering when the keys are operated from one face only of the board and w1th-. out registering when operated from the other face of the board, and devices for permitting only one key to be operated at any one tlme.

2. In a device of the character stated, a frame having a fixed plate, a movable mesh plate parallel thereto and movable longitudinally and transversely to the plane of its surface, a plurality of reciprocable registering keys each having a large and a small portion guided in the fixed plate and extending through the movable mesh plate to shift it, the holes of said plates for. the keys relatively spaced at a differential pitch to prevent more than one key from being operated at the same time, means operated by the keys to register the operation thereof, a master locking key for locking the movable mesh plate against action by the registering keys, means to control the time of action of the master locking key, and manually controlled means for causing the lock ing key to be moved out of locking position When desired. 7

3. In a device of the character stated, a frame work, combined with a plurality of v transversel keys arranged in a plurality of rows each I said plate having holes spaced differently from the spacing of the keys both as to the spacing in each row and as to the spacing of the plurality of rows, the edges of the said holes cooperating with the beveled shoulders and reduced portions of the keys and whereby the plate is movable by any key when operated alone, and suitable means independent of the keys to hold the plate against movement by the keys.

4. In a device of the character stated, the combination of an order board, a plurality of keys designating the various articles for sale said keys supported in parallel rows on the board, an indicating dial for registering the amount ordered by the operation of any portion of the keys, and means comprising a plate through which all of the keys pass and movable under the action of the keys in different angular directions in the plane of its surface for preventing more than one key of the pluralit of rows of keys being positively operated at one time.

5. In a device of the character stated, anindicating dlal, and a plurality of keys arranged in a series of parallel rows and geared to operate the indicating dial, combined with a movable differential plate common to all of the keys and movable in all directions in the plane of its surface to prevent the operation of more than one key at a I time,said plate movable by any single key of an row at one time.

6. n a device of the character stated, a plurality of keys each of which has rack like edges of relatively different numbers of teeth, an indicator dial, a series of pinions in geared relation'so as to rotate together and operate an indicating dial, said pinions actuated by the keys in proportion to the amountof registering it represents, and means movable longitudinally and of the same plane to prevent the operation of more than one key at a time.

JAMES W. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

MARGARET E. BANYARD, IVILLIAM LIPPINCOTT. 

